Police Chief Superintendent Salary 2026/27
Chief Superintendent is the most senior rank covered by the Police Remuneration Review Body; everything above it is set by the Senior Salaries Review Body. Pay runs across three pay points, £103,797 to £115,785, on the scale awaiting the determination that implements the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026. The Home Secretary awarded 3.5% from 1 September 2026, below the 3.9% recommended, and the revised pay points are not published yet.
Typical pay & take-home
- Pay point 2
- £107,226
- Typical range
- £103,797–£115,785
- Take-home at median
- £71,303 England, no pension applied — use the salary calculator for your scheme.
At the median for this profession, you earn about 175% above the UK full-time median (£39,039), placing you in the top 5% of UK earners.
What influences police chief superintendent pay
Three pay points spanning £11,988, reached by service in rank, with London forces on a separate higher scale.
The pension contribution is 14.22%, the top tier, on pensionable pay of £79,588 or more. It is a net pay arrangement, so the contribution reduces taxable pay while National Insurance is charged on the full gross.
That contribution is what keeps the personal allowance intact. At the £115,785 top of the scale, the 14.22% deduction brings adjusted net income to about £99,320 - just under the £100,000 threshold - so base pay alone does not trigger the taper, even though the gross is well above it. Overtime, allowances or any other taxable income would push it over.
The rank is above the federated ranks, so there is no overtime entitlement; the responsibility is reflected in the scale itself.
Career progression
- Chief Inspector: £70,344 to £73,149.
- Superintendent: £84,177 to £99,015.
- Chief Superintendent: £103,797 to £115,785.
- Chief officer ranks: set by the Senior Salaries Review Body, not the PRRB.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a Chief Superintendent take home 2026/27?
- On the £103,797 bottom of the scale with the 14.22% pension tier, take-home is about £61,904 a year or £5,159 a month. At the £115,785 top it is about £67,834. Both are after Income Tax, National Insurance on the full gross, and the pension contribution.
- Does the personal allowance taper affect a Chief Superintendent?
- Not on base pay. Because the police pension is a net pay arrangement, the 14.22% contribution comes off before adjusted net income is measured, and even £115,785 leaves about £99,320 - just under the £100,000 threshold. Any taxable income on top, including allowances, would take it over and into the 60% band.